Circuit-interrupter.



UNITED STATES EATENT oEEIoE. 'y

FLETCHER D. IIALLOCK, OF PITTSBURGH, YENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY,` A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- 'VANIA.

CIRCUIT-INTERRUPTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1916.

Application lcd December 26, 1911. Serial N o.' 667,918.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FLETCHER D. HAL- LocK, a citizen of the United States, and' a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Al- 'I employ coperating magnetizable members which are dependent directly upon the current traversing the circuit for forcibly holding a pair of relatively movable contact members together,

Figure 1 of thev accompanying drawing is a partially sectional elevation of a circuit interrupter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.l 2 is a front elevation of the device shownrin' Fig. 1, theinterrupter being closed in Fig. 1 and open in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the device here shown comprises a slab or base 1 of insulating material, a stationary contact member 2,-

secured to the base, and a movable contact member 3 carried by' an arm 4 that is pivotally supported upon the base. A bifurcated end of the arm 4 is mounted upon a pin 5 with which a terminal member 6 is provided. The outer end of the arm 4 is enlarged and is recessed to receive the contact member 3. A handle 7 is secured to a projection 8 at the free end of the lever and constitutes a convenient means ,for manipu- -lating'v the circuit interrupter.

Any suitable yielding connection may be established between the contact member' and the arm 4, the Contact member being provided, as shown, with a rod 9 which extends through a hole 10 in the'lv'enlargement 11' of the arm,.and is provided with nuts 12 which prevent the contact member from being entirely separated from the arm. As already pointed out, the enlargement is bored out to form a recess 13 in which is located a helical spring 14.

The. arrangement of` .parts is such that the spring 14 tends to throw the contact member 3 out of the recess in the arm, this action being prevented by the nuts 12. The contact members 2 and 3 coperate with eachother and, when they are broughtv forcibly lnto engagement, the spring '14 is compressed and tends to swingithe' arm outwardly. In order to hold the arm in such position that the contact members are held 1n engagement with each other under pressure, I mount a magnetizable ring segment 15 on the enlargement 11 of the leverso as to partially inclose the contact member 3, and provide a coperating magnetiaable ring segment 16, upon a bracket or carrier 17 which surrounds thecontact member 2.

The arrangement of parts is such that the ring segments 15 and 16 are magnetized by the electric current that traverses the contact members 2 Aand 3 when the circuit in terrupter is closecd. The ring segmentsare so arranged that the magnetic circuit through them is only complete when they are in lengagement with each other and, consequently, there is considerable magnetic attraction between them as long as normal urrent is flowing through the contact memers.

By properly proportioning and designing the lnterrupter, the magnetic attractlon between the ring segments under normal conditions will hold the interrupter closedin opposition to the spring 14. The spring.

will obviously throw the interrupter to its open position whenever the voltage fails or when the current falls below a predeteb' mined amount. Y

The contact member 3.is closely fitted into the hole 10, and, consequently, it is preferably connected to the arm 4 by means of a flexible shunt 18.

While I have illustrated a specific structure, I do not wish to be restricted thereto, and I desire that the scope of my invention shall only be limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A circuit interrupter comprising relatively movable contact members and coperatin'g magnetizable members severally attached to the respective contact members and jointly surrounding said members to form an electromagnet for magnetically holding said contact members together.

A2. A circuit interruptercomprising' rel4 tively movable conta-ct members and coperating magnetizable members severally attached to the respective contact members and jointly7 surrounding the said members to be energized by the passage of current therethrough for magnetically holding the contact .members together.

3. A circuit interrupter comprising a stationary contact member partially surrounded by a stationary magnetizable ring segment, a n'iovablecontact member, a second magnetizable ring segment associated therewith and cooperating with the rst named segment to form a closed magnetic circuit and means tending to separate the contact members in opposition to the attraction between the magnetizable members.

4. .fr circuit interrupter comprising a stationary Contact member,.a stationary ring segment of magnetizable material partially si'ufrounding the Contact member, a movable contact member coi'ipcrating with the stationary contact member, a second magnetizable ring segment partially surrounding the movable contact member and means tending to separate the contact members, said ring segments being` disposed to form a closed magnetic circuit and serving to hold the contact members together.

:3. A circuit interruptor comprising a sta tionary contact member, a pivbtally supported and movable contact-bearing arm, cooperating magnetizable members respec 'tively associated with the contact members and combined to surround said. members for magnetization. by the current passing thercthrough to prevent the separation of the contact members, and a spring interposed between the movable contact members and the contact-bearing arm for exerting a pressure between the contact members when the interrupter is closed. i

6. A circuit interruptor, comprising relatively movable contact members, and means attached to said Contact members and encircling the same when the interruptcr is closed for holding the members together by the direct action of the magnetism developed in said means.

7. A circuit interruptor, comprising relatively movable contact members, and a plurality of magnetizable ring segments attached thereto and respectively partially siu'rounding said contact members, said ments being oppositelydisposed and adapted to partially overlap when the inter-rupter is closed.

S. A circuit interrluiter, comprising relatively movable contact members, a plurality of magnetizable members severally partially surrounding and attached to the respective contact members and adapted to form an enciixcling link of magnetizable material when the interrupter is closed for holding' the members together directly by the magnetism developed therein.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of Dec., 1911.

FQETCl-ER D. HALLOCK.

Witnesses R. W. CornLANn, B. B. Hines. 

